Eating Out at Blaze Pizza
Parking your Transportation Plaza on University is usually very difficult to find a place to park. If you’re biking, there are countless bike racks from the northern McDonald’s entrance to the southern Bar Louie entrance and most of the time they’re easy enough to find while walking along the stretch of restaurants out in front. If you still can’t find a place to park your bike, there are scattered bike racks behind the plaza near the residences and, if you don’t mind walking, at the Doubletree hotel on the same road as the McDonald’s entrance. As for cars, unless you live at one of the residences in the plaza, don’t try to use the parking garages as they are for residents only. There isn’t very much parking out front, however, there is usually at least a few spots open by the southern and northern entrances. Bar Louie typically has spots open from its entrance up until the first turn going north in the plaza. McDonald’s by far has the best parking as I’ve never once seen it completely full, even at dinner or rush hour. There are also parking spots at the Doubletree hotel and a line of cars parked on the side of the road going into the residences on the southern side of the plaza. The Menu The menu is rather self-explanatory, but once you get in line you don’t have much time so laying things out here should help out with any decisions being made before entering Blaze. The most commonly ordered item on the menu is the Build-Your-Own pizza, which is a pizza with two toppings of your choice (any meats, veggies, cheese, and sauce you can think of they probably have) for $8.45. There are other more specific options such as 1-topping, meat lovers, veggie, cheese, and so much more. There are also other items on the menu such as salads (Caesar, kale & quinoa, arugula & fresh fruit, etc.), drinks (all of which you can choose either from a fountain or packaged at the front), and desserts (pie, cookies, and brownies). There is a comprehensive list of all the menu items ONLINE and even a calorie calculator for those looking to watch their weight while eating out. Ordering Your Food Once you enter the restaurant, you enter a line similar to that of a Chipotle or Moe’s and talk to someone who takes your name and initial order. If you choose build your own pizza, your pie is passed down a line of toppings (meat, veggies, cheese, and sauce) that you choose from while various employees ask you what you want to top your pizza with. Blaze can be a bit busy with college kids so this part is typically rapid-fire questions about what you want and moving on to the next employee and section of toppings. Once you finish, you reach the register and your pie goes in the oven. You pay for your meal however you want (cash, credit, debit, etc.) and you can buy drinks and dessert here. If you get a soda, there are fountains where you choose your particular drink and have unlimited refills. You are free to find a seat. From there, you wait until your name is called and you can come up and grab your food and return to your seat. Finding a Place to Sit Blaze is usually filled to the brim with people, especially around meal times. But if you can, I highly recommend getting a seat near the register. Once your food is ready to be picked up, it is usually left on a counter next to the register and they will call out your name. It’s easiest to hear your name from a table near this spot and there are also plenty of condiments such as cheeses on the counter to the immediate left of where you pick up your food. If you can’t find anything that close, don’t worry, just find a seat and place something or someone there to hold your spot while I suggest you go stand near the register to wait for your food. They can yell quite loudly for you to come get your food, but since the place is brimming with loud college students and playing loud music, it’s easy for their call to be drowned out. That’s the case especially since they often don’t call more than two or three times. Misc. There will always be an employee out and about to see if you are enjoying your meal, so expect someone to come and ask you if you are at some point while you are eating. If you need anything, they can get it for you, eliminating the need to get back in line and go through the whole ordering process again. It also relieves pressure from the usually just one cashier who deals with all the customers. You can also ask them for to-go boxes if you can’t finish your meal. There are bathrooms in between the delivery counter and the condiment counter that have a huge restroom sign indicating their location and are hard to miss. As for what to do when leaving, you’ve already paid your bill and you don’t need to tip since this isn’t a typical restaurant and employees are paid more than waiters and waitresses. You can leave your trash on the table if you want, but in order to be polite and save the employees from more unnecessary work, it’s easy enough to take care of yourself. You can pile your trash (and leftover food you don’t want if you have any) on top of your food tray and bring it over to one of many trash cans near the exit. Once your dump all your trash, there is a tray hold on top of the trash can for you to leave your dirty trays. Once you’ve done that, you’re free to go home.